Heritage interpretation from supply and demand perspectives: the case of culinary heritage workshops in Hong Kong

Abstract

Interpretation helps visitors understand the value of resources and the need for preservation. Existing interpretation principles focus more on natural and built heritage sites, rather than intangible cultural heritage, such as traditional foodways. Hence, this study examined the interpretation of culinary heritage from the supply side (i.e. heritage owners and tour operators) and demand side (i.e. visitors), and revealed how culinary heritage interpretation differs from that of tangible heritage. First, existing interpretation principles in the literature were categorized and synthesized. Next, Hong Kong was selected as the study site. Observations were conducted on nine culinary heritage workshops in Hong Kong, and thirty heritage owners/operators and workshop participants were interviewed. Findings revealed that ‘culinary’ elements were introduced through a standardized process with value-added activities, whereas ‘heritage’ interpretations were non-standardized. From the perspectives of consumers and suppliers, five themes of effective interpretation were identified respectively. Participants seek interpretations that are personalized by heritage owners, showcase all possible traditions, and enable post-event sharing. Owners/operators design interpretations that facilitate idea exchange and promote innovative revitalization. A new model is proposed for culinary heritage interpretation, which extends the interpretation timeframe to pre-, during, and post-event and highlights the needs and personal involvement of heritage owners.